This invention pertains to a private branch exchange (PBX) adapted for telemarketing and, more particularly, to a PBX adapted for controlling a telephone terminal using a computer terminal and for automatically initiating outbound telephone calls without using a telephone terminal.
Telemarketing, the sale of products and services to customers over the telephone, is one of the fastest growing businesses in the United States. In a typical telemarketing installation, telemarketing agents are equipped with a telephone terminal and a computer terminal. The telephone terminal usually is connected to a digital or analog PBX and has a headset, in place of a handset, to free the agent's hands. The computer terminal typically is connected to a host computer having a data base of information used by the agent in conducting the telemarketing operation. This information typically includes data regarding products or services sold by the telemarketing group or pertaining to the accounts or customers serviced by it. The data base may include, e.g., customer telephone numbers, addresses, amounts due, credit card numbers, etc. An agent typically modifies the data base using the keyboard associated with his or her computer terminal, usually while a telephone conversation is ongoing.
Telemarketing may involve principally initiating outbound telephone calls or receiving inbound telephone calls. A typical organization involved in inbound telemarketing is a customer support group, e.g., a group making reservations for an airlines, whose agents answer customers' questions and effect requested transactions. Typical organizations involved in outbound telemarketing include credit collection agencies, whose agents interact with delinquent customers, and companies attempting to sell products through random calling.
The telecommunications equipment presently used to conduct telemarketing comprises a host computer, a PBX and a special telephone terminal controlled by the host computer. For outbound telemarketing, the host computer may run a predictive dialing program. This program assumes that a percentage of calls initiated will be answered and, therefore, initiates more calls than the number of agents available.
Upon selection by the host computer of a particular telephone number for dialing, the number is transmitted to the special telephone terminal. This terminal automatically dials the number by transmitting corresponding DTMF (dual tone, multi-frequency) or other appropriate signals to the PBX. The PBX effects the necessary switching connections, using the public switched telephone network, to the called telephone terminal. When a customer answers, a corresponding signal is transmitted from the special telephone terminal to the host computer which responds with a signal to the special telephone terminal to transfer the call to a particular agent (usually selected on the basis of being idle). The special telephone terminal then transmits appropriate signals to the PBX to cause the PBX to execute the necessary steps to establish a communication path between the called party and the agent. These steps include transmitting an alerting signal to the agent (an auditory or visual signal), receiving an answering signal from the agent (usually initiated by the agent's lifting of the handset on his or her telephone or by activating a key on the telephone's keypad) and then executing the necessary switching connections to establish a communication path from the called party' s telephone terminal to the agent's telephone terminal. The multitude of steps involved often result in several seconds of delay between the called party picking up his or her telephone handset and responding with "hello" and a corresponding response from an agent. The called party often hangs up before the agent is on the line.
A further source of inefficiency and expense in telemarketing is the necessity for an agent's simultaneous operation of both a computer terminal and a telephone terminal. The agent must use his or her telephone terminal to make a call, place a call on hold, respond to a call, etc. and must use his or her computer terminal to access the data base pertinent to the call. The telephone commands are transmitted from the telephone terminal to the PBX via DTMF, dial pulse, or other appropriate signals, and interaction with the host computer is via a separate communication path between the agent's computer terminal and the host computer. Although attempts have been made to integrate a telephone terminal and a computer terminal, these attempts merely involve the integration of two key pads into one key pad. In other words, the integration merely involves housing both a computer terminal and a telephone terminal together controlled by a single key pad. In all other respects, the computer functions and telephone functions are identical to those executed by a separate computer terminal and a separate telephone terminal. Thus, when the key pad is used to execute telephone functions, signals are transmitted to the PBX, and when the key pad is used to execute computer functions, signals are transmitted to the computer's central processing unit (CPU) or a host computer. The necessity for continuously dealing with two pieces of equipment is not eliminated and, in addition to the other stresses of telemarketing, this necessity often leads to frustration and a high degree of turnover by agents in this industry.
A PBX used for telemarketing sometimes is connected to an ISDN (integrated services digital network), and, on the inbound side of the PBX, a digital telephone terminal is required to perform the many sophisticated functions involved. Such a terminal is many times more expensive than a standard, analog telephone terminal, particularly a digital telephone terminal capable of performing the functions required for telemarketing. The necessity for such a digital telephone terminal, particularly if many agents are involved, substantially increases the overall cost of telemarketing equipment.